please log in to view this image please log in to view this image please log in to view this image Venue: Emirates Stadium Saturday, December 13th 2014 KO Time: 17:30 BST please log in to view this image Head to Head Against Newcastle United: Played: 167 Wins: 68 Draws: 37 Losses: 62 Goals For: 245 Goals Against: 228 Goal Difference: 17 Last 6 Meetings: Arsenal 3-0 Newcastle United Newcastle United 0-1 Arsenal Newcastle United 0-1 Arsenal Arsenal 7-3 Newcastle United Arsenal 2-1 Newcastle United Newcastle United 0-0 Arsenal please log in to view this image Starting XI: please log in to view this image
I think Poldi deserves a start after his midweek goals. He's hardly going to be fatigued either. Wouldn't start him alongside Giroud as they're both fairly static, but if him and Welbeck swapped positions up front a bit it could work.
Gutted for Ramsey, just as he was hitting a rich vein of form. Hopefully he won't be out for too long. As for Pod, I think the pace of this game will be different than against Galatasaray, so I'd be more inclined to use him as a sub if we need to score with 20 mins to go.
Looking forward to see the ox in the middle - think he can potentially bring us to a different level. Better than Ross Barkley IMO (in that, similar, position). I would start with podolski, welbeck, sanchez on top ...
what makes Ox so great in the centre is his explosive pace. He was brought up as a winger because of his pace, but his ability with the ball is right up there with most CMs. Playing him in the middle, he has the technical ability to control the game, the stamina and workrate to get backwards and forwards all game, a decent long shot with either foot and a few extra yards of pace on most midfielders.
If OX can reach his potential, I think he can be better than Ramsey and Wilshere in that position, he is stronger, faster, and seems more agile than the other 2, he has all the ingredients to be better than them, now it's about making it come together.
I think Ramsey and OXO are different players that offer different things. OXO is more explosive with his speed and trickery whereas Ramsey is your proper CM that runs things and has a good solid engine. Ramsey for me is the natural successor to Cesc, only time will tell if he reaches Cesc's heights but he is making very good progress. This game will be a tricky one, we are missing some key personnel. This will be the best time for Newcastle to get something from us as this is the weakest we've been all season at the back. But this depends on whether we can take our form forward from last game and if Newcastle actual go for it.
. We're missing more players than you to be fair, both teams are injury ravaged. We won't go for it either, I can promise you that. We'll play a ver compact 4-5-1, we'll sit very deep and when we counter it'll be as a 4-3-3. You're obviously favourites but the first goal (or lack of a first goal) will be crucial. If you score first (and early) then we'll have to abandon our game plan and come out and play a bit, if this happens I reckon you'll just pick us off at will. If we can keep it 0-0 until 55-60 mins then I'd maybe start to believe we could nick something. We're just so decimated on numbers though I think this will be a game too far for us given your back up or squad players are much better than ours.
This goes down to how Debuchy operates at CB, how Coquilan does in the centre mid spot and who fills in for our RB spot, i'm guessing Bellerin. If Cisse has a good game then we could be in for a tough game. Defensively we look very questionable and this comes down to how you'll exploit it.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/30442639 Some giroud comments from the pre match press conference.
Coquelin is nowhere near good enough to start at CM for us. It will be Flamini, Ox and Cazorla in there.
Szczesny, Bellerin, Debuchy, Mertesacker, Gibbs, Flamini, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Cazorla, Alexis, Welbeck, Giroud.
Do you think this is a 4-4-2 with Bellerin, Debuchy, Merts, Gibbs ---Flamini -- Cazorla Oxo -------------------Sanchez ----Welbeck---Giroud Or a 4-3-3 with Bellerin, Debuchy, Merts, Gibbs --------Flamini---------- -----Oxo---Cazorla---- Sanchez--Giroud--Welbeck ?
4-3-3. But Sanchez has licence to roam inside, and Welbeck has licence to go up top alongside Giroud, especially when the FBs overlap.
Newcastles record against us in the last 28 meetings: W2 D8 L18 They've also lost the last 5 prem meetings. Easy....
